useless are all the labors and studies of men, which are undertaken in human affairs. 3. For there is no one who can mention any utility annexed to these things, which men—creeping upon the earth A—strive to accomplish with both body and soul, being addicted to things that are perishable and temporary, yet unwilling to cast even the slightest glance, with the noble eye of the soul, above the stars. 4. And the life of mortals is worn away, day succeeding day, and by the parts and revolutions of years; 5. and by the fixed courses of the sun; 6. now approaching, now gently receding. 7. Nor is this affair unlike the passage of torrents, falling with great noise and tumult into the boundless depth of the sea. And indeed, those things which were created by God for the sake of men remain the same; as that they are born of the earth, that they depart into the earth, that the earth itself is firm and stable, that the sun, having traversed all these things, revolves again to the same boundary and point; and the winds B likewise, and the rivers, so many in number, pouring into the sea, and the winds rushing in, do not force the sea to exceed its own measures, nor do they themselves infringe the law ordained for them. And these things, indeed, which contribute to our life for its use and support, are thus firmly established. 8. But the words and works devised by men have no limit. And there is a great abundance of words, yet no profit from this wandering garrulity and trifle; but the race of men is insatiable, both in speaking and in hearing what another says; and moreover, they are eager to gaze with aimless eyes upon every occurrence. What could happen C later that has not already been done, or carried out by men? What is new, that has not yet come into experience, and is worthy of being mentioned? For my part, I think there is nothing; and whatever one might name as fresh or new, upon reflection he will find it was not unknown to those of old. Just as past things are hidden by oblivion, so too will present things, with the passage of time, go into obscurity for those who come after. And I do not speak these things now at random, assuming the role of Ecclesiastes; but, as it has been entrusted to me to govern the kingdom of the Hebrews in Jerusalem, all things have been sufficiently pondered and considered. Having searched and meditated, and wisely contemplated the entire nature of things upon the earth, I have found it most varied, as it is given to man to labor upon the earth, rolling oneself at one time in one pretext of toil and another in another, toward nothingness. Yet everything below is filled with an alien and loathsome spirit, so much so that it is not possible to regain them, nor even to think at all of how much absurdity has overtaken human affairs. For having once deliberated within myself, and having supposed that I was at that time wiser D than all who had lived before me, I have scrutinized and, having dwelt ingeniously and wisely on that thought, I have found it to be most varied. For it has been given to man to be vexed by labors on earth.
A I have known how to understand parables and the natures of things. 14. I thought that matters were otherwise shifted because of this, and that knowledge follows wisdom, and labors follow upon knowledge.
15. I held that these things below were full of vain labor; so much so that no one can grasp them; nay, not even contemplate how great an absurdity has invaded human affairs. 16. For when I had once reflected with myself, and had considered that I was wiser in this matter than all who had been before me; 17. I brought into my mind that I would understand both parables and the natures of things. 18. But I seemed to have applied my mind to that task in vain; because, just as knowledge follows wisdom, so are labors the companions of knowledge.
CHAPTER II
1. Having judged this to be so, I resolved to undertake a different kind of life, and to surrender myself to luxury, and to experience various pleasures. But now I have understood that all these things are vain: 2. And hence I restrained laughter that was let loose and wandering at random; hence I curbed pleasure toward moderation, and rebuked it bitterly. 3. Moreover, when I had considered that the soul has the power to steady the nature of the body, drunken and flowing like wine, and that by continence it can subdue desire and press it into servitude; I decided that I must inspect what indeed is set before men as serious, and truly good and honest, which they might accomplish in this life. For I have reviewed all other things which are considered excellent and worthy of admiration; 4. Such as the erection of most lofty buildings, and the planting of vines; 5. And furthermore, the structures of gardens, and the possession of all kinds of fruit-bearing trees, and the diligent cultivation of them; 6. Where also great reservoirs were constructed for the receiving of waters, distributed for the abundant and copious irrigation of the plants. 7. Now, I was also surrounded by a troop of servants, both menservants and maidservants; and I acquired some of them from abroad, and others I possessed from those born in my own house. Moreover, many flocks of four-footed animals, both of oxen and of sheep, came into my power, more than any of those who existed of old. 8. But also treasures of gold and silver flowed to me, inasmuch as I had brought all kings to the point that they brought me gifts and paid me tribute. Furthermore, many choirs were set in motion for my entertainment, of men and women alike, producing the most harmonious and well-modulated song. Banquets, moreover, and cupbearers (for I had relegated these to this part of pleasure), chosen from both sexes of humans, and excellent, I could not even number, so much did I surpass those who reigned in Jerusalem before me. 9. Thus it came about that both my wisdom diminished, and vicious desire grew. For I had let go all the reins to all the snares of my eyes, and to the unbridled impulses of my heart assailing me from every side, and had surrendered myself to the hopes of pleasures; and to all miserable luxuries, I bound fast my own will. For so were my thoughts brought to such distress, that I believed these things were good, and that it was fitting for me to carry them out. Then, having one day recovered my senses and looked up, I saw what in
A my hands I held: things altogether wicked and wretched, the works of a spirit that is not good. For nothing which is chosen by men appears to me now to be acceptable or worthy of earnest pursuit by a right mind. Having therefore reflected upon both the good things of wisdom and the evils of folly, I could with good reason highly admire such a man who, though being carried along irrationally, should afterwards take hold of himself and return to what is necessary B (95). For there is a great distance between wisdom and folly, and the difference between the two is as much as that between day and night. It seems, therefore, that he who has chosen virtue is looking clearly at each thing and upward, his own path having been made in a time of most brilliant light; but he again, who is entangled in vice and wandering in all kinds of error as if in darkness, is blind in his vision and snatched away C by the darkness of affairs (96). Finally, having thought through the difference between each of these lives, I found nothing, and having made myself a sharer with the foolish, I shall receive the consequences of folly. For what good is there in those sophistries, or what profit in many words, where the streams of babbling burst forth as if from a fountain of folly? D Between the wise man and the fool there is nothing in common, neither according to the memory of men nor according to the reward of God. Of the things among men, which still seem to hold sway, the end of all is already taking hold. But a wise man never shares the same end with an unwise one. I therefore hated even my entire life, which had been wasted on vain things, in which I had spent my time consumed by earthly labors. For to put it briefly, all things done by me have been labored over painfully, having become works of irrational impulse; and another will succeed to them, whether he be wise or a fool, [and gather] the fruits of my labors. But when I had put these things away and cast them off, there appeared to me those things which are truly good and set before man: the knowledge of wisdom and the acquisition of fortitude. But if someone has not cared for these, but has been excited by others, such a one has chosen evil things instead of good, and has pursued vice instead of goodness, and toil instead of rest, being dragged about by varied disturbances, being held fast both night and day, always by the pressing labors of the body and the ceaseless concerns of the soul, his heart palpitating for the sake of strange matters. For the perfect good does not sit in eating and drinking, even if in most respects nourishment comes to men from God; for nothing of what is given to us for salvation exists outside of His providence. But the good man, having obtained wisdom from God, has obtained heavenly gladness; but the wicked man, driven by divine-sent evils, suffering from greed, is eager to gather many things, and hastens to reproach the one honored by God before the Master of all, proffering useless gifts, having made the efforts of his own wretched soul both deceitful and vain at the same time.
CHAPTER III
A 1. Indeed, this time is full of all things contrary: births, then deaths; the sprouting of plants, then their destruction; healings and killings; the building up of houses and their tearing down; weeping and laughter; wailing and dancing. 5. Now someone gathers fruits from the earth, now he casts them out; and at one time he remains with a woman, at another he rejects her. And now one seeks something, now he has lost it; and now he has guarded it, now he has let it go; at one time he killed, at another he was slaughtered; he spoke, then he was silent; he loved, then he hated. For the affairs of men are sometimes at war, and other times at peace, as things that seem to be good shift rapidly into acknowledged evils. Let us cease, then, from unprofitable hardships. 10. For all these things, as it seems to me, were placed there to goad men with poisonous stings. A certain evil watcher of the times has opened his jaws over this age, straining to destroy the creature of God, having been set from the beginning to struggle against it until the end. 12. I am persuaded, therefore, that the greatest goods for man are cheerfulness and beneficence, 14. and that this brief pleasure here below comes from God only if justice leads the way in one's deeds. 15. But as for the state of eternal and incorruptible things, which God has firmly established, no one can either take anything away from them or add anything to them. 16. But those things are both formidable and admirable; and those that have already been, remain stable, while those that are to be have already come to be according to foreknowledge. B The one unjustly harmed uses God as his helper. 17. Furthermore, in the lower parts, I saw a pit of punishment receiving the ungodly, while to the pious another place was opened up. 18. I also considered that all things are thought of and judged as the same before God; that the just and the unjust, the rational and the irrational are the same. For time is measured out to all equally, and death hangs over them; and the race of beasts and of men is the same before God, differing from one another only by the articulation of the voice; but in all other respects their circumstances are similar. 19. And death moves on, no more toward the rest of the animals than toward men. For the spirit is the same for all, and there is nothing more in men, but all things in one account are vain, having received their composition from the same earth, and having their dissolution into the same earth. C For it is uncertainA regarding human souls, whether they shall fly upward, or regarding the rest, as they possess the nature of beasts, whether they shall flow downward. And it seemed to me that there was no other good, except luxury and the use of the things present. For I thought it impossible for any man to return again to the enjoyment of these things, once he has tasted of death.
CHAPTER IV.
1. Returning B my thoughts from all these things, I considered and turned away from all the kinds of sycophancy that roam among men, by which some are iniquitously circumvented and cast down by force, deprived of those who might assist them or—in a word—comfort them out of the straits which encompass them from every side; while those whose hands are their justice are raised to a height, from which they shall also fall. Of the wicked and the bold, those who have died have fared better than those who are living until now. But more to be chosen than both of these is he who shall be like them, yet is not yet born, because he has not yet touched the wickedness that is among men. And it became manifest to me how much envy follows a man C from his neighbors, being a goad of an unclean spirit; and that he who takes it into himself, and as it were embraces it to his breast, has nothing else but to gnaw away his own soul, and to cut and consume, along with his body, an unmitigated grief, regarding the prosperity of others. 2. Yet a wise and prudent man would prefer to fill one hand with ease and gentleness, rather than both with toil and the craftiness of a deceitful spirit. 3. There is also another thing which I know happens contrary to what is fitting, on account of a man's evil disposition. There is one who is solitary on every side, having neither brother nor son, yet he abounds with many possessions, D and living for greed, he is not willing to bestow anything at all upon himself through kindness. I would gladly, therefore, ask him for whose sake such a man toils, fleeing headlong from doing anything good, but being distracted by various desires for making gain from somewhere. Much better than this are those who have entered into a partnership of life, from which they might reap the best fruits. For if two men are rightly engaged in the same affairs, even if something adverse should befall one of them, yet he has no small assistance in the companion and associate who is with him. And the greatest misfortune for a man who is faring ill, and the solitude of one who is to recover, is great. But those living together have both doubled their prosperity for themselves, and have comforted the storm of unwanted circumstances; so that both by day they may shine with the boldness they have in one another, and by night
A they may shine with dignity. 12. On the other hand, the one who leads a life solitary, cut off from all human society, leads a sort of horrific life, not understanding that he is taking counsel for himself rashly and dangerously—having attacked many men who are surrounded by mutual protection—and furthermore, that a cord woven with a triple bond is not easily broken. 13. I, however, prefer a poor young man, provided he is adorned with prudence, to an old king who is foolish, to whose mind it has not occurred that it is possible 14. for someone to be established from prison and the dungeon to the helm of a kingdom, while he himself is afterwards justly cast out from his unrighteous rule. 15. For it sometimes happens that those who are subject to the young man—provided he is wise—are free from grief, at least those who are older. For those who come after, because they have had no experience of the other, cannot even praise this one, being led by an irrational opinion and the impulse of a contrary spirit. 16. Driven, clearly, by reckless counsel and moved by the onset of an opposing spirit. 17. But whoever thou art, fulfilling the office of the Ecclesiastes, keep this before your eyes: that you may both hold to the straight path of life, and pray for the foolish, so that having received prudence, they may know how to avoid the practices of the wicked.
CHAPTER V
1. It is good to spare one's speech and to use a steadfast heart in the study of words. For we ought not to be possessed by a reckless study of speaking, and to bring forth and emit through the voice those things that come into our mind, even if they are absurd; but rather to consider B that, although we are far removed from heaven, we must know that we speak in the hearing of God, and that it is profitable to speak without falling into error. 2. For just as the diverse species of dreams follow upon the various cares of the soul, in the same way, foolish talk is conjoined to speech. 5. Moreover, let a promise made by a vow receive its end through a deed. This is a property of fools, that they are to be cast out. But do thou perform the truth of your promise, knowing that it is much better for you not to make a vow, nor to promise to do anything, than to make a vow and then to neglect it. It is necessary in every way to avoid those things that concern oneself; for daytime cares are like the phantoms of the night. And the voice of a fool is in a multitude of words. For just as those who are tempted by day are also troubled by dreams; so also the fool is convicted by his own talkativeness.
A 4. It is far better for you not to vow, nor to promise that you will do something, than to abandon it after the vow is conceived. 5. Moreover, the flowing of shameful words must be avoided for every reason, for they will not be unheard by God. For no other benefit returns to the one who ponders these things, than that he might perceive his own works to be undermined and ruined by God. 6. For just as most dreams are vain, so also are most words. But the fear of God is B salutary to men; yet it is rare. 7. Wherefore, there is no reason for you to wonder if you see both the poor oppressed by calumnies and judges acting deceptively by the laws. 8. Furthermore, one must take care not to appear greater than those who excel in power. For even if this happens, wickedness itself will by no means deliver us from the frightful torments into which we shall fall. 9. Just as wealth collected by seizing and extorted by force is most pernicious and wicked; so also for a man burning with the desire for money, satiety never comes, nor the goodwill of neighbors, however great a quantity of silver he may have acquired. For this is vain and empty. But probity delights its own household to a great degree, and makes them brave, providing the ability to perceive every matter. 10. But also, not to have become entangled in such cares and to have fixed one's mind upon them is to be considered a great thing. Indeed, the poor man, even if he is pressed by old age and has by no means filled his belly any more abundantly, nevertheless enjoys the sweet rest of sleep; but the desire for riches has sleeplessness and the labors C of the soul as inseparable companions. 12. For what could be more absurd than to preserve with great zeal and care the wealth one has hidden away, and to keep watch for oneself over the occasions for six hundred evils? 13. And those riches must necessarily be undermined and perish, whether the one who has acquired them has children or none. 14. And he himself, even unwilling and resisting, must fall and depart into the earth, just as he was when he came forth into this light. 15. Thus, about to depart with empty hands, he will increase his own sin, thinking nothing of this, that an end of life similar to his birth hangs over him, and that he is tormented with vain labor; 16. and serving a kind of impulse of the wind rather than his own zeal, he consumes his entire life in most impure desires and rash appetites, and furthermore in sorrows and diseases. And to speak briefly, to such a man the days are darkness, and life is mourning. 17. Although this is by no means to be rejected: enjoying D the benefits God has given, and possessing wealth not extorted by force. 18. For he is not afflicted by sorrows, nor, for the most part, does he serve evil and depraved thoughts; but rather he measures his life by acts of kindness and benevolence, enjoying peace of mind in all things, and rejoicing because of the gift of God.
CHAPTER VI.
I shall set forth in my discourse the evildoing which most abounds and spreads among men. When God [index: entries preserved]
A has provided someone with all things that were dear to his heart, and has not deprived him of anything whatever that humans might covet—neither wealth, nor great glory, nor any other of the things at which mortals marvel—that man, though overflowing with all things (as if held fast by this one calamity divinely inflicted, that he lacks the enjoyment of them), gathers his goods for another, having become useless to himself and to his neighbors. This I hold to be a great argument and a manifest proof of extreme wickedness. For that man, though named the father of very many children without reproach, and having lived a long life, did not fill his soul with goodness for so long a time, having never experienced death B—that man, I would not deem blessed either for his numerous offspring or for his long life. Indeed, I consider a premature fetus falling from a mother's womb to be preferable to him. For that one, just as he came in vain, so he departs secretly and in oblivion, not having touched upon evils nor looked upon the sun. This state is lighter than that of the wicked man who, even if he should measure out his life for a thousand years, does not acknowledge goodness. But the end for both is death. The fool is C reproved, especially by the fact that he takes no saturation from any desire. But the prudent man is not entangled by these passions. Most of the time, an upright life leads a man to poverty. Many, however, are led astray from the degree of their reason by the sight of lascivious eyes, which stir the soul and draw it into useless pursuits through the vain desire of being seen. But those things which have now come to pass are already known; and it is manifest that a man is unable to resist or oppose those things which are above him. Idle, however, are the trifles that circulate among men, increasing the folly of those who utilize them.
CHAPTER VII
D For nowhere is there any more profit for one who knows what will befall him according to his heart's desire during his life—let us assume this to be so—yet even this, human curiosity contrives, so that men seem to be anxious to inquire about and to know even the things that will come to pass after the death of anyone. But a good reputation is sweeter to the soul than oil is to the body, and the end of life is better than its beginning. And it is more desirable and better to mourn than to feast, and to be present with those who are grieving than with those who are devoted to drunkenness. For so it is, that if someone has attained this end of life, he may be affected by neither fear nor anxiety regarding the things around him. In a similar manner, prudent anger is to be preferred to laughter; for by a severe demeanor of the countenance, the soul is ordered toward what is right and honorable. The souls of the wise, therefore, are somber and restrained, while those of the foolish, being puffed up, are dissipated. Furthermore, it is much more desirable to receive the rebuke of one wise man than to hear theA chorus of base and wretched men singing. For the laughter of foolish men is like the noise of many thorns burning with a fierce fire. But this is also miserable, yet the greatest evil is calumny; for this plots against the souls of the wise, and attempts to corrupt the noble steadfastness of the good. And it is fitting to praise the speaker not when he is beginning, but when he is ending, and to accept a moderate character, and not one that is puffed up and arrogant. B One must by all means refrain from anger, and not be carried away readily into wrath, to which fools are enslaved. But those who say that a better life was granted to our ancestors err, and they do not understand that wisdom differs very greatly from the abundance of riches; and it is as much more manifest as silver appears more brilliant than its own shadow. For the life of a man does not result from the acquisition of perishable wealth, but from wisdom. But tell me, who will be able to set forth such great and such kind providence of God? Or who is able to recall those things which seem to have been neglected by God justly? Having acted not rightly before, I myself observed all things: both the just man remaining C constantly in justice, and not departing from it throughout his whole life, but even being plotted against because of it, and the unjust man dying together with his wickedness. And it is necessary for one who is just not to seem to be very much so, nor too wise and beyond measure; so that if he should stumble in anything, he might not sin the more multiply. And do not be bold and rash, lest an untimely death snatch you away. It is the greatest good to apprehend God, and while being in him, to commit no sin. For to handle clean things with an unclean hand is abominable. D But he who yields with the fear of God escapes all contrary things. Wisdom can do more than a host of the most powerful men in a city, and it often justly forgives those who have failed in their duties. For there is not one who is blameless. But one must not approach the words of the impious in any way, lest, becoming a listener to the words against you, like the chatter of a wicked servant, then, having been stung in your heart, you subsequently be turned in many actions to cursing in return. I perceived all these things, having received wisdom from God, which, having later cast away, I was no longer able to be the same. For wisdom fled from me to an infinite length, and to an immeasurable depth, so that it was no longer possible to grasp it. So that later, [I desisted] even from seeking it completely; and I no longer busied myself with understanding the follies and vain counsels of the impious, and a life of wandering. Being so disposed, I was carried away into these very things, and seized by a deadly desire, I knew the woman, a kind of earth, or whatever other such thing exists.
A For her heart ensnares those passing by, and even by merely joining hand to hand, she holds them fast, or leads them away as if wrapping them in bonds. You could be rescued from her only if you have found God to be propitious and a supervisor; for he who is enslaved by sin would not escape. I sought through all women their chastity, and I found it in none. And one might know a chaste man among a thousand, but a woman, no. And I noticed this most of all, that humans, created simple in their souls by God, draw upon themselves varied thoughts and discourses of reason and infinite questions, and, professing an inquiry into wisdom, they waste their time on mere trifles.
CHAPTER VIII
B Wisdom, when examined in a man, is seen to flood even the Lord’s countenance itself with splendor; just as, on the other hand, impudence convicts the one in whom it has its dwelling to be worthy of hatred as soon as he is seen. It is fitting to pay diligent attention to the words of the king, and to flee an oath in every way, especially that which is taken in the name of God. Yet it is proper to be wary of evil speech; but we must guard against every blasphemy against the Lord. For it will not be permitted to complain of him who inflicts some punishment, nor to oppose the decrees of the one and only Potentate and King. It is better and more profitable to remain satisfied with the sacred commandments, and to stand apart from wicked words. For a wise man knows and foresees the judgment that is to come at the proper time, because it will be just. For all things in the life of men await the punishment from above; yet the wicked man does not seem to know very well that, because there is much providence over him, nothing at all will be hidden in the future. For he does not know what things are to come; for no one will be able to announce any of them according to their worth: because no one will be so strong as to be able to ward off and prevent the angel who is extracting his soul, nor will C any method at all be found for postponing the time of death in any way; but just as it is for those captured in the midst of war, flight is seen to be shut off on all sides, and all the impiety of man perishes at once. And I am amazed whenever I look at what kind of things, and how many, men have practiced to their own detriment. And I understand the wicked being snatched away from here and becoming...
A dead and removed from our midst, because they have given themselves over to vanity. 11. For because the providence of God, on account of His supreme forbearance and clemency, does not by any means pursue all people immediately, nor is the wicked man punished at once for his transgressions; 12. for this reason the wicked man thinks it permissible for him to sin for a longer time, as if he were going to depart unscathed: he does not, of course, understand that even after a long time has passed since the crime was committed, he will not escape the knowledge of God. But that most excellent good, which is to be endowed with a pious fear of God, he will abuse. 14. But a very bad and false opinion mostly spreads among men, both concerning the just and concerning the wicked: for they judge the opposite regarding both. For he who is endowed with justice is not judged as such; and conversely, the impious man is considered a man of understanding: this error I consider to be among the most B grave. 15. Furthermore, I once judged the supreme good to be situated in food and drink; and that he was dearest to God who, throughout the whole span of his life, enjoyed these as much as possible: 16. and such merriment I considered the sole consolation of life. And therefore I would not apply myself to any other thing than this opinion, so as not to deny myself, either by night or by day, any of those things that have been discovered by mortals for delight, nor to draw myself away from it. 17. But this I have known, that whoever has defiled himself with these things will, by no labor, however long, ever find the true good. C
CHAPTER IX.
1. For I believed that all men at that time were held worthy of the same things. And if any wise man had studiously pursued justice and turned away from injustice, and had avoided enmity, being kind to all, which is pleasing to God, this man seemed to me to be laboring in vain. 2. And in the end, it seemed to me that there was one and the same goal for the just and the impious, for the good and the bad, for the pure and the impure, for him who prays to God and him who does not pray at all. 3. For when the unjust and the upright, the perjurer and the one who flees every oath, were heading toward the same end in my hope and opinion; a certain sinister thought began to creep in, that all end in the same way. But now I have perceived that these are the D thoughts of fools, and frauds and impostures. 4. And with many words they chant this: that he who has died perishes completely; and that the living is to be preferred to the dead, even if he lies covered in darkness, and even if he follows the way of life in the manner of a dog, above the dead lion. 5. For those who enjoy life at least know this, that they are going to die: but those who have completed their life know absolutely nothing. Furthermore, no rewards or punishments are proposed after the course of life is completed. 6. Moreover, that hatred and benevolence toward those who have exchanged life for death have an end. For their envy and emulation have both vanished, and their life has been obscured and extinguished. Finally, of nothingis he a participant, he who has once migrated from this life. Error, inciting him, suggests such advice as this: 7. "Ho, you there! What are you doing? Why not indulge in luxuries, gorge yourself on all kinds of food, and fill yourself immoderately with wine? Do you not understand that these things are granted to you by divine favor so that you may enjoy them at your own whim and without hindrance?" 8. "Why do you not put on fresh clothing cleansed of filth, and anoint your head with unguents, 9. and look upon this woman and that, and vainly spend a vain life?" For nothing besides these things remains for you, neither in this life nor after death. 10. "Do, therefore, those things that happen wildly and spontaneously. For no one will demand an account of these from you; nor are human deeds known in any way except among men. Orcus, B however, whoever he may be, to whom we are said to depart, is devoid of wisdom and perception." Such things the vain men speak. 11. I, however, am certain that neither those who seem to excel in the fleetness of their feet will complete that great race, nor will those who have been held powerful and formidable among men complete that formidable war. Nor, indeed, is prudence tested by an abundance of food, nor is sagacity accustomed to have anything in common with wealth. 12. Nor do I think those are to be congratulated who judge that all will reach the same end. For they seem to me to be oppressed by a heavy sleep, those who think of such things; nor do they consider with themselves that, seized like fish and birds, they move in evils and will suddenly pay the penalties deserved for their crimes. 13. But truly, I so value and esteem wisdom that I consider even a small city, inhabited by few and besieged by a great king with an army, to be great and populous, if it has even one poor wise man as a citizen. 14. For this man will be able to protect his city unscathed, both from the onslaught of the enemy and from their circumvallations and sieges. 15. And although others do not recognize that poor wise man: 16. I, however, place the powers of wisdom far above this popular power. Truly, wisdom C is here cast down and despised, when it is joined with poverty: 17. but afterwards it will be heard, uttering a voice more lofty than princes and tyrants, who are ablaze with the desire for evils. For wisdom is stronger even than iron itself. 18. The folly of one, however, brings danger to many, even if to many it is slight and contemptible.
CHAPTER X
1. For flies falling into an unguent and being suffocated render the appearance and the anointing of that sweet liquid unbecoming; D but it is not fitting to call to mind wisdom and folly at the same time. 2. For the wise man is his own guide toward right and honorable things: the fool, however, inclines toward the left, and never turns to the proper course.
A His thoughts, too, are vain, filled with folly. 4. If at any time, O friend, a hostile spirit should assail you, resist with a stout heart, knowing that God is able to forgive even a multitude of sins through His kindness. 5. These are the works of the tyrant and the father of all malice: 6. to exalt the fool to a height, while the man who abounds in the riches of prudence is pressed down; 7. that slaves of sins should be seen riding on horses, while men of holy life travel on foot in dishonor, as the wicked exult. 8. If anyone plots against another, he foolishly lays a snare for himself first and alone. He who overturns another's security shall fall into the bite of a serpent. 9. Indeed, he who removes stones shall suffer no small labor; and he who cleaves wood shall bring danger upon himself with his own tool. B If it should happen that the axe head flies from the handle, he who does these things shall be troubled, not gathering in with success, but himself increasing his own unjust and short-lived power. The bite of the serpent is secret; those who use incantations will afford no comfort, for they are vain. But the good man performs what is good for himself and for his neighbors; while the fool shall fall into destruction through his own babbling. And once he has opened his mouth, he begins foolishly, and quickly ends his speech, showing his stupidity everywhere. 14. It is impossible for a man to know, or to learn from a man, what has been from the beginning or what is to come. For who shall be the one to declare it? A man who does not know how to travel toward the good city suffers affliction in his eyes and in his whole C countenance. 16. I pronounce evils upon that city whose king is a youth and whose princes are gluttons. 17. But I count the good land blessed, whose king is the son of a free man; where those who have been judged worthy to rule there enjoy good things at the proper time. 18. The slothful and the idle diminish their house, having become mockers; 19. and because of their own gluttony, using all things to excess, and because of silver, they endure to do anything basely and abjectly for the sake of a small price. 20. It is fitting to be obedient to a king, and to rulers or potentates, and not to come into conflict with them, nor to cast any troublesome word at them. For there is a risk, lest that which has been said in secret and with remote witnesses should by chance come to light. D For swift and winged messengers carry all things to the only, rich, and great King, performing a spiritual and at the same time rational ministry.
CHAPTER XI
1. It is just, moreover, to share bread and the necessities required for life with men. For even if you might seem to some to lose it immediately, just as if you had cast bread into water, yet with the passage of time you will find that your kindness has by no means been unfruitful to you. 2. Give liberally also, and divide your resources among more people; for you do not know what the coming day may have brought forth. Clouds do not hold back their own abundant rain, but rather [pour] the shower uponthe earth; and not even a tree stands forever, but even if men spare it, it will surely be overturned by the wind. Now many desire to foresee what is to come from heaven; and there is no lack of one who, looking into the clouds and awaiting the wind, has refrained from the harvest or the winnowing, trusting in and persuaded by a vain thing; B nor does he know anything of those things that are to be from God, just as one does not know what a pregnant woman is about to bear. When, however, you have sown at the proper time, gather and store the fruits when the time for this comes; for it is uncertain which of the things that have been sown will be the better. Would that all things turn out well. But when anyone considers in his mind that the sun is beautiful, and this life is sweet, and it is a good thing to fill long periods of time with perpetual pleasures; C and that death is a horrible thing, an everlasting evil, and one that leads to nothingness: he thinks it necessary to enjoy the present comforts of life and the things that have the appearance of pleasantness. And he even admonishes the young to abuse the flower of their age, relaxing their souls into every pleasure, and to follow their desires; to do what seems good to them, to look upon the things that delight them, and to turn away from those that are otherwise. To whom I would say only this: You are of little sound mind, O man, you who do not expect the judgment of God that will avenge all these things. But revelry is wicked, and lust, and the impure disgrace of our bodies is pestilential. For folly is the attendant of youth: but folly leads to destruction.
CHAPTER XII
It is necessary for one who is still young to fear God, before delivering himself to evils, before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes; D when the sun will no longer shine, nor the moon, nor the remaining stars, but the higher powers will be moved, in that storm and tumult of all things, those angels who are guardians of the world; so that powerful men may be quieted, and women may cease from working, fleeing into the dark parts of the houses, with all the doors closed: and a certain woman, ceasing from the work of the mill for fear, will use a very thin voice, like a very slight bird; and all wicked women will fall to the ground, and both cities and their cruel and bloodthirsty magistrates, awaiting the punishment from above, when the most bitter and bloody time sets in, just as a flowering almond tree, and with constant torments pressing upon them, like a numerous army of flying locusts, and with wicked men cast out and taken from the midst, not otherwise than a black and contemptible caper-bush. And indeed, the man notable for his probity will go rejoicing into his eternal home: but the wicked will lament all their own things, and neither stored-up silver, nor refined gold, will be of any benefit anymore. For a great blow shall seize all things.A And it shall hold even unto the pitcher standing by some fountain, and the wheel of a wagon which might happen to have been abandoned in the hollow (28), having ceased, both from its duration of movement, and from the life-bearing age that has passed through the water (29). For there is one salvation for men lying upon the earth, if their souls should come to know, and fly back to Him by whom they were created. I say therefore again what I have also said before, that men are disposed quite vainly, and that they do not at all admit of any excess to the vanity of the things which are thought upon. And for me, the labor B of assembling the church wisely is superfluous, because I am attempting to teach this people which is unteachable and incurable. Yet it is necessary for a noble man to be able to understand the words of wisdom. For I, being already an old man, and having passed through a long space of life, have labored to find out the things acceptable to God through the mysteries of the truth. And I know that the commands of the wise arouse souls, and prick no less than they afflict bodies (30) when fixed by a goad or a nail (31). Yet some will give those wise teachings, having received them from one good shepherd and teacher, as if from one mouth, all of them together expounding more lavishly to them the things that have been entrusted. But there is no profit in many words; nor, my friend, do I advise you to record pointless things C concerning what is proper, in which there is no more gain than merely toiling in vain. But for the rest I shall have need of such an epilog as this, that: "O men, lo, I declare unto you plainly and briefly, to fear God, the Lord and overseer of all at once, and to keep His commandments; and to be persuaded that every man will subsequently be judged, and will receive, each according to his worth, the reward of his works, of both good things and bad together."
D The cord of avarice, which binds up in all sins. *It shall hold*. Those held by fantasies. *To be held*: to be possessed by God. *In the hollow*: in the hollow, having ceased, and from the duration of movement, and from the life-bearing age that has passed by. *A slight mark*. In famine. The time flows and the days hasten, passing by the sluggish. *Of the cistern*, having ceased. *Cistern*, cisterns were constructed for the receiving of waters. *Of the duration*: of the time. *Life-bearing*, as nails planted, incandescent.